College Republicans – The New Politicalhttps://thenewpolitical.com
An Independent Voice for Athens.Fri, 13 Sep 2019 18:49:31 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.11Ohio voters consider dropping felony drug charges in favor of rehabhttps://thenewpolitical.com/2018/11/06/what-is-issue-1/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2018/11/06/what-is-issue-1/#respondTue, 06 Nov 2018 14:49:42 +0000https://thenewpolitical.com/?p=22900Issue 1 is a contentious Ohio ballot initiative that has big-name proponents and opponents, from elected officials to college political groups Ohio voters will have the opportunity in the November midterm election to vote on Issue 1, an initiative that has caused controversy at both the local and state levels. The ballot initiative, also known …

]]>Issue 1 is a contentious Ohio ballot initiative that has big-name proponents and opponents, from elected officials to college political groups

Ohio voters will have the opportunity in the November midterm election to vote on Issue 1, an initiative that has caused controversy at both the local and state levels.

The ballot initiative, also known as the Neighborhood Safety, Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Amendment, is a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution concerning drug-related crimes and criminal sentencing. If passed, Issue 1 would demote drug possession charges from felonies to misdemeanors, shorten prison sentences for some criminals convictions, and reallocate money to various rehabilitation programs.

The Ohio University College Democrats has taken a strong stance in favor of Issue 1. The organization voted to endorse the initiative at a recent weekly meeting; the organization hasn’t endorsed a ballot initiative in the past, President Bailey Williams said. The endorsement passed with more than a 50 percent majority of the club’s present body.

Williams participated in Ohio’s early voting, where he voted “YES” on issue 1.

“Since (Issue 1 is) only for possession charges and not trafficking or anything like that, I was really comfortable voting for it,” Williams said. “Just the fact that it’s shifting toward treatment was a step in the right direction in my mind.”

On the contrary, the College Republicans chose not to take an official stance on Issue 1. Cole Neuhart, political director of the College Republicans, is opposed to the issue’s ballot language and the amendments permission of certain substances like fentanyl, although he supports the measure in principle.

“I’d love to be all for it,” Neuhart said. “I think it’s a great starting point; I just think it needs amended.”

Rick Hodges, director of the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health, is concerned with Issue 1.

“I understand why the proponents of it are trying to promote for a more compassionate system when it comes to folks with substance abuse problems,” Hodges said. “But, I think this cuts out the law enforcement community and the judges who are working very hard to be part of the solution.”

Athens County Sheriff Rodney Smith said he is opposed to Issue 1 because of its potential implications for local law enforcement. He is partially concerned that no surrounding states have laws in place similar to what Issue 1 would implement in Ohio.

“It will be a safe haven for drug dealers and drug users if this law passes,” Smith said.

Smith emphasized that the sheriff’s department wants to help people who are struggling with drug addiction, and that there are certain measures in place to ensure they get help. He is concerned for law-abiding community members who feel unsafe due to others abusing drugs.

“Let’s think about the 94 percent of the population that does play by the rules and wants to be safe in their neighborhoods,” Smith said. “We don’t want to hurt anybody or harm anyone but we also gotta think about the citizens out there that tell me, ‘I’m afraid to sit on my porch, I’m afraid to walk my children down the road.’ Let’s think about them for a little while.”

Issue 1’s fate ultimately lies in the hands of Ohio voters, who will hit the polls soon to make their voices heard.

]]>https://thenewpolitical.com/2018/11/06/what-is-issue-1/feed/05 takeaways from Monday’s 94th State House District debatehttps://thenewpolitical.com/2018/10/30/five-big-takeaways-from-mondays-94th-state-house-district-debate/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2018/10/30/five-big-takeaways-from-mondays-94th-state-house-district-debate/#respondTue, 30 Oct 2018 12:00:00 +0000https://thenewpolitical.com/?p=22818Incumbent Jay Edwards and Nelsonville City Councilmember Taylor Sappington are running for the position of state representative in Ohio House District 94. The two faced off Monday night in a debate at Walter Hall. With a week until the midterm elections, incumbent State Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) and challenger Taylor Sappington (D-Nelsonville) went head-to-head in …

]]>Incumbent Jay Edwards and Nelsonville City Councilmember Taylor Sappington are running for the position of state representative in Ohio House District 94. The two faced off Monday night in a debate at Walter Hall.

With a week until the midterm elections, incumbent State Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) and challenger Taylor Sappington (D-Nelsonville) went head-to-head in a debate Monday night at Ohio University.

The questions — which were created by members of the College Democrats, College Republicans, and the Student Senate Governmental Affairs Commission — spanned a wide variety of topics concerning both Southeast Ohio and the state as a whole.

The topics ranged from the environment and poverty, to sexual assault and abortion, to higher education.

Poverty in Athens County

Edwards and Sappington took different approaches when it came to their plans to fix poverty, but they both agreed it’s a complex issue.

Edwards talked about how opioids were greatly impacting the area, citing that as one issue impacting poverty in the local community. On the other hand, Sappington said he would advocate for a hike in Ohio’s minimum wage.

Education and associated costs

Education was a contentious topic, as the candidates had different opinions on ways to lower costs associated with higher education.

Sappington’s solution to lowering the cost of higher education is to reverse tax cuts for the upper tax brackets and reallocate that money toward colleges and universities, saying that university funding needs to be reformed.

Edwards cited Ohio U as a leader of tuition predictability, discussing the Ohio Guarantee. He also mentioned that Ohio has stayed the most stagnant in educational cost hikes over the past 10 years. He said one way that he would push for making higher education more affordable would be through need-based aid.

Issue 1

While Sappington’s stance on Issue 1 is wavering, he is leaning toward supporting the initiative on the ballot; Edwards came out in strong opposition of Issue 1.

Sappington cited the need for criminal justice reform and the Statehouse’s lack of effort in fighting the opioid crisis as reason to support Issue 1, saying it needs to be approached with a backbone.

On the other hand, Edwards said that, while he realizes people need treatment, Issue 1 is not the solution. He countered by saying the Statehouse has made efforts to combat the crisis.

Infrastructure and the Rainy Day Fund

Sappington advocated for the Rainy Day Fund, which is a supply of “emergency money” held by the state. However, he said it’s not okay to take tax money and “stuff it away.” He said there didn’t have to be just one way to fund improvements to local infrastructure, talking about both the Rainy Day Fund and gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray’s plan.

When it came to the Rainy Day Fund, Edwards emphasized that it’s okay to save money, adding that it’s necessary to prepare for a potential economic downturn. He countered Sappington’s argument, saying it’s not a good idea to spend all of the funds saved and additionally “max out the credit card.”

Abortion and HB-493

The candidates were in stark contrast in terms of their stances on abortion, specifically, Ohio’s Heartbeat Bill.

Edwards started by saying that he did not run for office to work on abortion issues. Edwards said that he is pro-life and discussed the hypocrisy of other pro-life representatives that only care about children in the womb.

Sappington, who is pro-choice, opposed the idea of the Heartbeat Bill and talked about what he described as Ohio’s “radical voice” surrounding women’s reproductive rights, saying that this rhetoric has to stop.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated from a pervious version for accuracy.

]]>https://thenewpolitical.com/2018/10/30/five-big-takeaways-from-mondays-94th-state-house-district-debate/feed/0Jon Husted visits Athens to talk possible gubernatorial planshttps://thenewpolitical.com/2017/04/12/jon-husted-visits-athens-talk-possible-gubernatorial-plans/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2017/04/12/jon-husted-visits-athens-talk-possible-gubernatorial-plans/#respondThu, 13 Apr 2017 02:35:00 +0000http://thenewpolitical.com/?p=20162Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted met with OU College Republicans yesterday in the basement of Red Brick to discuss his experiences in life and in office, as well as what he might do if he decides to pursue a gubernatorial campaign. Although Husted said he wouldn’t make the decision on whether to run for …

]]>Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted met with OU College Republicans yesterday in the basement of Red Brick to discuss his experiences in life and in office, as well as what he might do if he decides to pursue a gubernatorial campaign.

Although Husted said he wouldn’t make the decision on whether to run for governor for several more weeks, he said the issues he would focus on if elected governor would be “job creation, education and liberation from the federal government.”

Specifically on the topic of education, Husted said he wanted to make sure students had school choice and that everyone who graduates from high school is prepared either for college or to enter the workforce.

Husted spoke on his personal history, as one of the main reasons he came to Athens was to give potential voters more personal information about himself. This included his experience with being adopted, growing up in Northeast Ohio and playing football at the University of Dayton.

He also brought up credibility, which he believes was a key issue in the 2016 presidential election and will continue to be important for Republicans in the future.

“People have lost their trust,” Husted said. “If you want to know why Donald Trump got elected, more than anything it’s that they didn’t trust Hillary Clinton, and the bond of trust between the people and their government has been broken. We’ve got to rebuild that trust.”

Husted went on to say his accomplishments in various state government offices make him qualified to continue working for the public.

“If you want to continue to have the honor and privilege to lead in life, you’ve gotta do what you say you’re gonna do,” he said. “You’ve got to keep your promises. And as Republicans right now, this is a very, very important thing for us to remember because last November we won.”

]]>https://thenewpolitical.com/2017/04/12/jon-husted-visits-athens-talk-possible-gubernatorial-plans/feed/0OU students channel presidential candidates at debate forumhttps://thenewpolitical.com/2016/11/03/18843-2/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/11/03/18843-2/#respondThu, 03 Nov 2016 04:04:57 +0000http://thenewpolitical.com/?p=18843Editor’s Note: Editor-in-Chief Cat Hofacker and Managing Editor Lindsey Curnutte moderated the event at the request of the participants due to the publication’s nonpartisan nature. TNP’s involvement was limited to providing questions and facilitating discussion. None of the viewpoints expressed during the event represent those of TNP or its editorial team. Representatives from Ohio University …

]]>Editor’s Note: Editor-in-Chief Cat Hofacker and Managing Editor Lindsey Curnutte moderated the event at the request of the participants due to the publication’s nonpartisan nature. TNP’s involvement was limited to providing questions and facilitating discussion. None of the viewpoints expressed during the event represent those of TNP or its editorial team.

Representatives from Ohio University College Democrats, College Republicans, Students for Liberty and the Athens chapter of the International Socialist Organization gathered Wednesday in Clippinger Laboratories to debate. The event was created by Ryan Powers, treasurer for ISO.

Powers reached out to the presidents of each organization and together they worked out a framework, time and place. Cat Hofacker, editor-in-chief of The New Political, and Lindsey Curnutte, managing editor of TNP, moderated the event.

“A lot of people are hungry for political alternatives right now,” Powers said about why he recruited his political peers to debate. “We just wanted to be able to have the opportunity to talk to an audience about what we mean by socialism and what the Democrats and Republicans are.”

Although the debaters differed on issues ranging from the legalization of marijuana, whether Russian President Vladimir Putin can be a evil and a strong leader or the right pronunciation of Iran, they all agreed on the importance of voting.

“If you really want something to change, you all can make it happen,” said President Sam Miller of College Democrats.

Who do you think won the debate? Let us know at #OUDebates.

After tonight's forum, who do you think made the best argument for their candidate? #OUDebates

]]>https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/11/03/18843-2/feed/0“Hill No”: why OU conservatives back Donald Trumphttps://thenewpolitical.com/2016/10/12/hill-no-ou-conservatives-back-donald-trump/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/10/12/hill-no-ou-conservatives-back-donald-trump/#respondWed, 12 Oct 2016 04:14:41 +0000http://thenewpolitical.com/?p=18103Athens County has voted for the Democratic candidate for president since 1976. On Ohio University’s campus, it may seem like liberal attitudes dominate. But Democrats are not the only students with big opinions this election cycle. Rebecca Thacker, a professor in the school of business, said the Republican Party used to have a big presence …

]]>Athens County has voted for the Democratic candidate for president since 1976. On Ohio University’s campus, it may seem like liberal attitudes dominate. But Democrats are not the only students with big opinions this election cycle.

Rebecca Thacker, a professor in the school of business, said the Republican Party used to have abig presence in Athens. She previously served as the acting chair of the Athens County Republican Party, a group she joined because she believes getting involved in politics can create real change.

“The party’s just not doing as much as it should to fight the liberal agenda,” Thacker said. “There used to be a stronger infrastructure through the party and the people in the town. We don’t really have anyone out there speaking for us anymore.”

But Republicans on campus have proven not all college-aged conservatives have given up the fight. With the presidential election approaching, they are making their voices heard. From protests to phone banking, conservatives are doing all they can to ensure Donald Trump is the next president.”

Photo by Heather Willard: Protesters march with Trump/Pence signs along the event’s perimeter

Protesters make their voices heard

Former President Bill Clinton’s visit to campus last week, during which he campaigned for his wife, attracted more than just Hillary supporters.

The Ohio University College Republicans had protesters both inside and outside the rally. Those inside stood together in a peaceful demonstration, while those outside marched around the perimeter with Trump signs.

“We want to see the opposing view. We’re here to send a message that this is ridiculous,” said junior Sarah Dougherty. “I think it’s ridiculous that her husband is here campaigning for her. If you want to campaign in a college town, go there yourself.”

Junior Josie Hammon added Clinton’s failure to make a personal appearance was especially offensive considering Athens is one of the poorest counties in Ohio. Clinton visited Athens last May during the primaries.

The group stressed they were not promoting violence or disruption — simply sending a message. A student helping with the event approached the protesters to make sure they did not have any signs and told them to “be polite, be respectful.”

With Trump signs banned from the event, Pergolizzi showed his support for Trump in a different way — he wore a T-shirt that read: “Hillary sucks, but not like Monica.” He said he wore the shirt to protest the former president’s exploitation of women.

Other protesters echoed this sentiment, with several members of College Republicans calling it hypocritical of Clinton to send her husband on the campaign trail when he has a history of treating women poorly.

“Hillary is very for the feminist movement and empowering women, and she sends her husband out to fight for her, who has sexually assaulted women,” OUCRs President David Parkhill said.

Bailey Williams, a freshman Ohio University College Democrats member who introduced former President Clinton at the rally, said people should not judge former Secretary Clinton based on her husband, whose actions reflected a lack of judgement and bad character more than overt sexism.

“Trump supporters always call out the Clinton marriage, but they refuse to look at Donald Trump, who cheated on two wives and then divorced them before marrying another one. He is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl, so if you’re going to call out one, look at the other too,” Williams said.

History professor Katherine Jellison addressed concerns about former President Clinton as well, saying while his past involvement with women is a valid discussion point, students should not expect the Democratic candidate to personally campaign everywhere.

“Every campaign is going to send its surrogates… she can’t be everywhere at once,” Jellison said.

The Republicans at the campaign event made their case for why Trump should be elected instead of Clinton, citing economics and national security.

“He can control money, and that’s what we need right now. We need to get our money situation under control before we can do anything else,” Hammon said.

Parkhill praised Trump for his outsider status and said he will give college students a future.

“Hillary’s a very crooked leader, and it’s just more classic Washington,” he said. “Trump is going to go in and break the mold, clean house and keep the productive people where they are, kick unproductive bureaucrats out who are just wasting tax dollars, and he’s going to secure the country.”

However, several College Republicans acknowledged Trump’s campaign has room for improvement, especially with regard to his temperament.

“I would say he’s more qualified in the sense that he actually knows what’s going on and he’s honest, but he does need a little work on shutting his mouth,” Dougherty said.

“If you look at the beginning of his campaign to right now, he’s already calmed down, he’s learned when to keep his mouth shut. So I think it will get better and better as he rises on. As president, I think he’ll learn what he can say and can’t say, and what he needs to filter out,” Hammon said.

Thacker disputed the claim that Trump has an issue with his temperament, saying the attention on him is because the “liberal media is looking for anything they can find” to make him look bad.

“Donald Trump has never been a politician… it’s scary to the establishment on both sides,” Thacker said.

Demonstrators from the other side of the political spectrum attended the Clinton rally as well. One, wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt, interrupted Clinton’s speech by shouting he would not vote for a candidate who had “sent millions of my people to prison.”

One person in the crowd also interrupted former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who spoke before Clinton, yelling Strickland was 15 points behind in his Senate race against incumbent Sen. Rob Portman.

OUCRs, who stayed quiet during the event, were allowed to stay. However, the Black Lives Matter supporter was escorted out by police.

Conservatives feel discriminated against on liberal campus

Despite their attempts to be respectful to other ideologies, members of OUCRs said people judge them unfairly based on their political views.

“We’re not racist, we’re not sexist, we’re not homophobic, we’re not xenophobic,” Dougherty said. “People just automatically assume that we’re all these things, and they don’t even know us, and we’re actually more peaceful than College Dems. We don’t promote violence of any sort, nothing like that.”

Members asserted that they were harassed at the Clinton event for supporting Trump. Several agreed before Bill Clinton spoke that the event would likely become rowdy, and they should leave before it got too bad for fear of being “jumped.”

Williams acknowledged the liberal attitude is pervasive on campus but said the university has places for all political beliefs.

“You don’t necessarily have to be constantly bombarded with that liberal vibe,” Williams said. “There are places you can go if you’re conservative, and you’ll feel welcome and accepted.”

Thacker, meanwhile, discussed the hostility that conservatives on campus, both professors and students, experience on a daily basis.

“If you’re conservative, you are not very popular,” Thacker said.

Thacker said in conversations with students, feeling silenced is a common theme. She claimed rhetoric against conservatives, exemplified in Clinton calling Trump supporters a “basket of deplorables,” is pervasive among liberals because they cannot articulate an agenda for positive change.

In the past, Thacker has been called racist by colleagues and heard stories from students whose grades were affected because they spoke out against liberal ideologies in class. She calls this a “double standard” in the university and said the environment should be open to all viewpoints.

“They label people, so if you try to have an intellectual argument or discussion, they can’t respond. So they just start interrupting, they start talking over you, they start calling you names, and they pick on these things that have absolutely nothing to do with policy and what a president can do to help a country,” she said.

One year, Thacker wore a campaign button to class, a student complained, and Thacker was told that she was no longer allowed to wear the button in the classroom. But after contacting university legal counsel, she affirmed this was a violation of the First Amendment.

Jellison pointed out that the liberal climate here is not unique to Athens, but a common side effect of large universities dominating a town. She said among professors, there is a level of “self-selection” that makes college faculty typically lean left of center.

“People who see conservative ideals as their main political priorities are going to gravitate toward professions where those ideas are very prominent,” Jellison said.

The innovative environment of a university, where there is tendency to explore ideas outside the norm, also contributes to the lack of conservative voices on campus, according to Jellison.

Williams said, as a Democrat, he tries to look past party divides and realize not everyone supports candidates for the same reason. He said while he may despise Trump, he does not let those feelings extend to Trump’s supporters.

“You shouldn’t hate someone for who they support politically, you need to look at who they are as a person,” Williams said. “People don’t believe everything that Trump believes. You should hold a healthy dialogue with the person who disagrees with you.”

Ultimately, conservatives on campus want people to know they are more than their politics.

“I’ve been called so many names just for wearing a T-shirt and supporting someone,” Pergolizzi said.

Hammon called the campus “super prejudiced” against Republicans and said people she knew would not speak to her because she was holding a Trump sign.

“It comes down to respect and it’s very hypocritical that liberals say they’re open-minded, they’re respectful, when I’ve had 20 people be disrespectful to me,” Dougherty said.

Photo by Heather Willard: A sign held up by protesters at OU’s Bill Clinton rally

Why women should vote for Trump

This election has had its fair share of scandals with candidates from both parties. Trump’s campaign has been criticized for a number of offensive comments about Latinos, African Americans, immigrants, Muslims and women. Most recently, a tape was released that showed Trump saying he “just starts kissing (women)…I don’t even wait” and that he can “grab them by the p—y.”

While some think his comments are out of line, they still support Trump for other reasons.

“I do think some of his comments are a bit harsh… I don’t support some of his views on women, I don’t support the comments he’s made about people, but at least he hasn’t physically done anything,” Dougherty said. Trump is accused of mistreating women in at least 20 lawsuits.

“It’s not about women or men. Hillary Clinton is literally unfit to be president,” Hammon said. “It has nothing to do with gender, honestly.”

Thacker, who proudly wears a “Women for Trump/Pence” button, took a different approach to the topic. She said women should vote for Trump because he will better serve their interests, and most critics cannot name specific instances in which Trump has displayed sexism.

She named three main points women should examine when considering their vote: national security, education and economics.

Women want their children and families to be safe, Thacker said, and he wants to build the military. Trump is also for school choice, which Thacker said is important to women who are concerned about their children’s education. She also argued women are “great entrepreneurs” and need a president who understands business.

“Women would be able to start small businesses if we would get business-friendly policies in this country,” she said. “All Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama want to do is increase taxes and spend more and more of the taxpayers’ money on things that have absolutely nothing to do with growing the economy.”

Thacker said the real-world effects of current economic policies are actually devastating to women and families.

In response to Trump’s repeated criticism of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado’s weight, which made headlines last month, Thacker said his comments were justified.

“A Miss Universe is supposed to maintain her svelte appearance,” she said. “Isn’t that why she was Miss Universe? I see that no differently than giving your employee a performance review. To extrapolate from one situation and say he’s sexist is way too great an inferential leap.”

Instead of focusing on his words, Thacker highlighted Trump’s actions that show he is pro-woman. She said in upper-level positions in Trump’s businesses, women actually outnumber men, and he is committed to giving women upward mobility.

Thacker also attacked Clinton’s actions as president, and his wife’s subsequent involvement in delegitimizing some of the claims against him. Because of this, Thacker argued former Secretary Clinton is actually more sexist than Trump.

Jellison, however, defended Clinton, saying she acted on the information she had at the time.

“She believed her husband and thought these were people who were paid by her husband’s political enemies,” Jellison said. She noted that Trump has done little to prove he is not sexist, and said if it were a priority, his campaign should have done a better job of making it known.

In fact, she claimed Trump himself has “created a women’s issue” and set a tone that legitimizes sexist rhetoric. If he were to be elected, Jellison believes there could be real repercussions for how women are treated because his viewpoint and language would have a trickle-down effect.

Despite a strong base of Clinton supporters at OU, the opposition feels strongly about their case for Donald Trump.

“Look at the facts. Look at more than just MSNBC and CNN, read other news sources,” Parkhill said. “Hillary is not everything she’s cracked up to be. Trump is going to give you a future… Trump has not necessarily made the point to vote for him, but Hillary has definitely made the point not to vote for her.”

]]>https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/10/12/hill-no-ou-conservatives-back-donald-trump/feed/0UPDATED: State officials and college-age Republicans differ on Trumphttps://thenewpolitical.com/2016/10/10/state-officials-college-age-republicans-differ-trump/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/10/10/state-officials-college-age-republicans-differ-trump/#commentsTue, 11 Oct 2016 03:11:07 +0000http://thenewpolitical.com/?p=18087Oct. 11: This article has been updated to include comments from Michael Lakomy, president of College Democrats of Ohio and updated statements from David Parkhill, president of Ohio University College Republicans. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman joined a long list of Republicans who renounced Donald Trump late Saturday, saying he “can no longer support” his party’s …

]]>Oct. 11: This article has been updated to include comments from Michael Lakomy, president of College Democrats of Ohio and updated statements from David Parkhill, president of Ohio University College Republicans.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman joined a long list of Republicans who renounced Donald Trump late Saturday, saying he “can no longer support” his party’s presidential candidate.

“While I continue to respect those who still support Donald Trump, I can no longer support him,” Portman, R-Ohio, said in a statement. “I continue to believe our country cannot afford a Hillary Clinton presidency. I will be voting for Mike Pence for president.”

His statement came a day after a 2005 audio recording surfaced of Trump making lewd and vulgar comments about women.

Portman and Gov. John Kasich are currently the only Ohio Republicans who have denounced Trump’s candidacy since the recording surfaced.

“I will not vote for a nominee who has behaved in a manner that reflects so poorly on our country,” Kasich said in a statement. “Our country deserves better.”

Former Gov. Ted Strickland, who has trailed Portman in the Senate race since July, attacked Portman in a recent TV ad for waiting a day to announce his withdrawal of his endorsement.

As for a local reaction, Ohio University College Republicans president David Parkhill said he is “disappointed” in Portman’s recent actions.

“I’m pretty disappointed in (Portman and) the party leadership,” said David Parkhill, president of Ohio University College Republicans.

“I think we need to back this guy until Nov. 8 because if we’re divided, then we’re going to lose. If we lose I think we ought to hold every single one of those guys and girls accountable.”

“We agree, Ohio college students should be deeply disappointed in Senator Portman,” said Michael Lakomy, president of College Democrats of Ohio, in a statement.

Lakomy continued by saying Portman’s day-late unendorsement of Trump was “cowardly and disqualifying.”

Parkhill said OUCR members “absolutely condemn” what Trump said because “it’s obviously inappropriate.”

However, Parkhill said OUCRs are upholding its endorsement of Trump.

“We are sticking by him on the principle of us being college Republicans, a vehicle for the party,” Parkhill said. “The way I see it, Donald Trump is the only way to beat Hillary Clinton. I can appreciate that there are other candidates, but in the reality we live in it’s Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.”

]]>https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/10/10/state-officials-college-age-republicans-differ-trump/feed/1OU College Republicans tackle lack of participation in phone banking activitieshttps://thenewpolitical.com/2016/10/05/ou-college-republicans-tackle-lack-participation-phone-banking-activities/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/10/05/ou-college-republicans-tackle-lack-participation-phone-banking-activities/#respondThu, 06 Oct 2016 03:24:22 +0000http://thenewpolitical.com/?p=18022With just 32 days until the Nov. 8 election, Ohio University College Republicans stressed the importance of phone banking, or calling on behalf of candidates, at its weekly Wednesday meeting. Vice President of OUCR Ryan Evans encouraged more members to participate in daily campaign volunteering activities being held throughout Athens. “Phones are the easiest way …

]]>With just 32 days until the Nov. 8 election, Ohio University College Republicans stressed the importance of phone banking, or calling on behalf of candidates, at its weekly Wednesday meeting.

Vice President of OUCR Ryan Evans encouraged more members to participate in daily campaign volunteering activities being held throughout Athens.

“Phones are the easiest way to get in touch with the voters,” Evans said. “Every time you make a phone call, somebody learns about a candidate.”

A lack of participation, however, is hindering the amount of calls OUCR is able to make.

“If we want to win this election, if we want Republicans to win all the way down the ticket, then we need to have more than just six people at these events,” Evans said to an audience of about 50 people.

As members of OUCR, president David Parkhill pointed out that a loss in this election could prevent future job positions for those looking to get involved with political campaigns.

“If we don’t get our people in office, you’re not going to have a job in 10 years,” Parkhill said.

Parkhill opened the meeting with a video from the Twitter account RowdyAmericans. The video featured a black Trump supporter responding to a reporter asking for his thoughts on white supremacists supporting Donald Trump. The man concluded that it is a matter of free speech as to whom someone supports, and it does not make Trump a racist for having them as supporters.

]]>https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/10/05/ou-college-republicans-tackle-lack-participation-phone-banking-activities/feed/0Distinguished professor Richard Vedder supports Trump at College Republicanshttps://thenewpolitical.com/2016/09/22/distinguished-professor-richard-vedder-supports-trump-college-republicans/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/09/22/distinguished-professor-richard-vedder-supports-trump-college-republicans/#respondThu, 22 Sep 2016 15:48:26 +0000http://thenewpolitical.com/?p=17840Richard Vedder spoke at the College Republicans meeting on Wednesday to convince students to vote for Donald Trump in the presidential election. Vedder, a distinguished professor emeritus of economics, outlined what he thinks are the main reasons that Republicans need to defeat Hillary Clinton. Though Vedder admits that Trump has made mistakes on the campaign …

]]>Richard Vedder spoke at the College Republicans meeting on Wednesday to convince students to vote for Donald Trump in the presidential election.

Vedder, a distinguished professor emeritus of economics, outlined what he thinks are the main reasons that Republicans need to defeat Hillary Clinton. Though Vedder admits that Trump has made mistakes on the campaign trail, he said these instances are nothing but “venial sins.”

“He’s made some mistakes, but everything has to be compared with Hillary,” Vedder said.

Clinton’s integrity and honesty, economic plans, foreign policy and possible Supreme Court appointments are all reasons that she should not be elected, according to Vedder.

“Sleaze has been part of the Clinton environment for a quarter of a century at least,” Vedder said, pointing to Clinton’s email scandal as a main reason she cannot be trusted, in addition to various controversies from the past, such as Benghazi and Whitewater.

In regard to Clinton’s economic policies, Vedder found issue with her plan to continue the work President Obama has started during his tenure. He criticized the limited GDP growth under Obama, saying it is the worst in history. He also noted that the poverty rate now is actually higher than before Obama came into office, despite his (Obama’s) focus on inequality.

“The biggest enemy of the poor are the progressive liberals of this country who have advocated policies that seemingly are pro-poor, pro-low-income, but they hurt those people the most,” Vedder said. “The people who provide jobs in America are people who are successful.

Vedder continued by saying Clinton wants “more of the same” and will continue to raise taxes, increase government spending and crowd out the private sector. He stressed the importance of balancing government budgets

“I’ll admit, Donald Trump hasn’t said much about addressing that problem, “ Vedder said. “But Hillary’s solutions are clearly going to worsen it – that is not the case with Trump’s. Trump wants to cut taxes, he wants to reduce government regulation.”

Vedder criticized Clinton’s foreign policy track record, including her time as Secretary of State and the current administration’s actions, which she has not opposed. He said that terrorism has only expanded since Obama came into office.

“ISIS did not even exist prior to Obama,” Vedder said. “Obama nor Hillary can ever utter the words radical Islamic terrorist..you’re not allowed to say it because you might hurt someone’s self-esteem.”

Vedder said since the next president will likely choose several Supreme Court justices, it is important that Trump secure the Oval Office. While Trump has already named several possible candidates that Vedders says believe in the constitution, Vedder said Clinton will appoint “leftist justices.”

He ended his presentation by encouraging students to support not only Trump, but also other local Republican candidates in the upcoming election, such as Jay Edwards, whose upcoming campaign opportunities were discussed by the group.

“We need to unify this country,” said David Parkhill, president of OUCR. “We want to make America number one again. We need to make people realize that we are not racist, we are not bigots.”

]]>https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/09/22/distinguished-professor-richard-vedder-supports-trump-college-republicans/feed/0Faculty member encourages Women for Trump at College Republicanshttps://thenewpolitical.com/2016/09/14/faculty-member-encourages-women-trump-college-republicans/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/09/14/faculty-member-encourages-women-trump-college-republicans/#respondThu, 15 Sep 2016 03:22:42 +0000http://thenewpolitical.com/?p=17726Ohio University College Republicans (OUCR) had what David Parkhill, president of the organization, called its fourth-largest meeting ever Wednesday night. Political Director Casey Kinsey led a discussion about how to respectfully canvass for Trump, pointing out that last year’s Greek Week was restructured to be about diversity after a fraternity wrote “Trump 2016” and “Build …

]]>Ohio University College Republicans (OUCR) had what David Parkhill, president of the organization, called its fourth-largest meeting ever Wednesday night.

Political Director Casey Kinsey led a discussion about how to respectfully canvass for Trump, pointing out that last year’s Greek Week was restructured to be about diversity after a fraternity wrote “Trump 2016” and “Build the wall” on the campus graffiti wall.

“This is a politically correct school, if you hadn’t noticed,” Kinsey said. “Your professors are completely liberal and if you’re not, you’re racist, sexist, a bigot.”

One professor who defies the liberal stereotype is associate professor of management Rebecca Thacker, who said she recently took on the volunteer role of chairman of the local Women For Trump organization.

“I need girls to join this movement,” Thacker said, to waves of applause. “You’ll have to overcome the mantra that is repeated by the left that he is sexist. Ask people what he has done or said that makes them think he’s sexist.”

In Thacker’s experience, people don’t usually have an answer to that question.

“I always ask people who say that to give me an example of something he’s said or behaviors he’s exhibited that make him sexist. And most of the time they go ‘uh, well, uh, I don’t know,’” Thacker said. “Every year, every presidential election they bring out that Republicans are racist and sexist.”

Her support for Donald Trump stems from his business background, his plans for military expansion and his treatment of minority groups, including women, as “people, not votes.”

“What Donald Trump is going to do to support women in this country is what Donald Trump has done in his business career,” Thacker said. “Take a look at the number of women who are executives and who are vice presidents in his organization. He promotes women, he pays them well and he’s not going to have any different philosophies about women in this country than he does in his business.”

OUCR officially endorsed Trump for president last week and are now working on designing apparel. The budget is impressive — $4,015 — and the chapter recently rolled out a new app that lets members view its constitution, minutes, topics for discussion and leadership contact information.

]]>https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/09/14/faculty-member-encourages-women-trump-college-republicans/feed/0Conservative on Campushttps://thenewpolitical.com/2016/03/31/conservative-on-campus/
https://thenewpolitical.com/2016/03/31/conservative-on-campus/#respondThu, 31 Mar 2016 14:49:53 +0000http://thenewpolitical.com/?p=17064The post Conservative on Campus appeared first on The New Political.
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